Athothis : a satire on modern medicine / by Thomas C. Minor.

sedentary habits, who exercise so seldom that their muscles are flabby and atrophied ; elegant and refined beauties, who can not ride or walk without the artificial support of these steel and whalebone appliances." " I notice," remarked Athothis, musingly, " that your modern feminine livers are indented, and stomachs and other more important viscera displaced, by this health- destroying contrivance." " Hist!" exclaimed Paulus Androcydes. " As I ob- served before, our conversation may be overheard. Surely you would not wish to do away with our modern feminine backaches, headaches, vertigo, hysteria, dys- pepsia, cancers, tumors, displacements, consumption, etc. Do you wish to destroy the business of our obstet- ricians and gynaecologists ?" " I see the point," answered Athothis, grimly. " Fash- ion has ever been one of the best patrons of physic." " Observe the blushes on the cheeks of yonder girl," said Paulus Androcydes. "I sincerely trust that she has not listened." "Her blushes are purchased by the box," replied Athothis, smilingly. " Her golden tresses were im- ported. Her luminous eyes are truly beautiful. An Italian might remark of her, Bella-donna. Her teeth were never cast in nature's mold. Her complexion is made of arsenic internally and bismuth violet powder on the epidermis. But, hark! the music has commenced; the curtain has risen. Can it be ? Oh ! glorious Egypt, my country! Dear land of my nativity! Is this a dream or is it reality ?" The Egyptian leaned forward, gazing in spiritual rap- ture on the opening scene in "Aida;" for there, before his delighted vision, was the grand hall in the Palace of